Lenny Henry’s final event as host raised over £37 million – a significant increase from last year’s total.
Comic Relief has revealed that its annual Red Nose Day telethon raised over £37 million after airing on BBC One last night.
That represents an increase of around £6 million when compared to last year’s event, which had seen the total drop from previous years.
Last night’s show marked co-founder Lenny Henry’s final time as host and he was joined on presenting duties by various big names including Joel Dommett, Davina McCall, Paddy McGuinness, Romesh Ranganathan, David Tennant, Maya Jama and Rosie Ramsey throughout the night.
Many of his co-hosts paird tribute to the incredible work he has done since originating the charity with Richard Curtis almost 40 years ago, with Tennant thanking him for “an amazing tour of duty” and McCall calling him “utterly irreplaceable”.
Meanwhile Henry himself said, “It’s been an honour, it’s been a pleasure” and added: “It is not about me – it is about the mirth and the money, the comedy and compassion.”
Speaking of the total raised he exclaimed: “Wow… that is a lot of money.”
As ever, the evening saw a varied selection of famous faces take part in a number of humorous skits – both live and pre-recorded – across the three-hour extravaganza.
Highlights included a spoof of The Traitors starring Suranne Jones, Jonathan Bailey and Catherine Tate, a skit that saw Jamie Dornan’s The Tourist character Elliot Stanley take on Mastermind and appearances from The Gladiators, Alan Partridge and McFly.
Read more:
Meanwhile less than a week after Ryan Gosling performed a very memorable rendition of his Barbie hit I’m Just Ken at the Oscars, Henry put his own spin on the track by singing a new version titled “I’m just Len” while dressed up as the iconic doll.
And another moment that will live long in the memory was Henry being left “speechless” after he was told that several audience members were previous beneficiaries of Comic Relief fundraising.
“There are so many people living tough lives in incredibly difficult situations here in the UK and beyond,” he said. “For the last 40 years we’ve made these films and you’ve watched them, and every single time you’ve come through.”
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party back in January, Henry said of his decision to step down as host: “I’m not going anywhere, I’m just not going to host on the night. I might still make films for them and do voiceovers and things, but I think it’s time for a newer generation to come and take the baton, because we’ve been carrying it for a long time.
“We’ve got some people, so it’s gonna be really, really good. There might be some competition, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that goes. I hope they oil up and fight in the carpark!”
You can catch up on Red Nose Day on BBC iPlayer and donate to Comic Relief at comicrelief.com/radiotimes. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Entertainment hub.